Boy Abunda to join Bandila on October 3

It's been almost a month since the announcement that the King of Talk Boy Abunda will finally take his seat as the fourth anchor of ABS-CBN’s late night newscast Bandila on Monday, October 3. This is according to MJ Felipe, who used to be a correspondent of the defunct entertainment news show SNN: Showbiz News Ngayon, which Abunda co-hosted with Bianca Gonzales before. Felipe whom I followed via Twitter tweeted last Thursday afternoon that he was excited and was done with the crash course on Bandila’s program flow as well as writing and editing aspects, so that he can’t wait for Monday. Thus I asked him: Whatever happened to Abunda’s entry on the show? He replied that the king of talk will finally be seen this Monday.

I feel like a winner with this development. Being an Abunda fan and an entertainment scribe and host, I feel like this is victory for the entire Philippine entertainment industry, as this is going to be a first where hard news and lifestyle and entertainment tidbits will be fused in a major newscast on national television. Yes, because press releases about Abunda’s entry had it that he will deliver his own headlines and will also be able to comment, meaning he will be on equal footing with broadcast journalists Karen Davila, Ces Drilon and Julius Babao. That is putting entertainment news a notch higher.

After news of this development broke out, I was a bit upset and sad because reactions weren’t favorable to Abunda. In some online forums, readers commented that Abunda should stick to The Buzz and never aspire to join a major newscast as he would just lessen the news program's credibility. There were also comments about how desperate ABS-CBN is for fusing hard news and entertainment, pointing out that it will just downgrade the credibility of Bandila as it will now be very "showbizy" and gossipy. Such comments just show how narrow-minded and discriminating televiewers are. It saddens me more because there can be no progress if we are not willing to experiment, we can never get to where we want to be if we are not willing give it a try. In the case of Bandila, how will we know it’s going to be effective or not when we are already drawing conclusions before the development could even start?

In the not so distant past when killing of journalists was prevalent in the country, there was this slogan which I liked so much: Do not shoot the messenger. Abunda is the messenger. Why does it matter then who delivers the message as long as the information given is factual, in-depth, and well-researched?

Such narrow-mindedness reminds me of my very first job as desk reporter of Bantay Radyo 11 years ago when friends teased me to concentrate on doing entertainment news because I’m gay. I was typecast. Yet, I insisted I can do hard news because I know what I can and can’t do. But then there were times when I report that I was teased because my speaking voice no matter how hard I tried to modulate sounded feminine. Those were times when I was discriminated and typecast because of my sexual orientation. That was why when I joined The FREEMAN in 2001 I opted for the defense beat to prove that sexual orientation is never and should never be a hindrance in what you want to do and where you want to be, as long as you have the burning passion to do it.

Now with dyRC doing a daily two hour entertainment and lifestyle show, I also get the chance to substitute for the noontime newscast every now and then. I deliver the news with spontaneity, no pretension and in a normal way. It’s both an honor and a humbling opportunity as it shows how professional our news organization is. That should be the mindset of everybody. It does not matter who delivers and how the news is delivered. What is important is the message, the news itself. Is it factual? Is it fair and true? I believe a journalist, be it in print or broadcast, should not be boxed in a singular genre. A real journalist should be able report all types of stories — business, sports, entertainment, violence, war and many other. And there should be no sexual discrimination — gay, lesbian, male or female — it does not matter. It should be a question of how well the journalist can do the job properly, ethically. So good luck idol Boy Abunda. Expect me to be glued on TV this Monday to welcome you, even if it will ruin my sleeping regimen!

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Thank you very much to all who supported the successful Miss Press Freedom 2011 pageant last September 17 at the hippest party place in Cebu -- Formo. In behalf of the organizers and the E-Group (Entertainment Group), thank you to all the sponsors and judges as well. On a personal note, let me say thank you to one of Cebu ’s top designers, Dexter Alazas for providing the gown and club wear for our representative Darling Wagas who finished first runner-up. Everything you provided looked really good on Darling mamah Dexter! Thank you. And congratulations mamah for the opportunity to showcase your creative genius in the capital as wardrobe designer for the upcoming shows of Aiza Seguerra and Cokie Chua in Manila . Ikaw na gyud!

One of Cebu’s most in demand pageant director and very talented designer who is also a good friend of mine deserves my heartfelt thank you. He is none other than Lemuel Rosos who provided dresses for The FREEMAN Divas, the official entertainers of the night. Congratulations to all members of E-Group for another job well done! Congratulations to Phoebe Kaye Fernandez of KBP for winning the prestigious title. Mamah Ramil Solis thanks for Darling's make up.

Of course thank you to Darling Wagas for representing us very well. You never failed us Dar, especially during the Q & A portion. Such brevity, clarity and directness that should make you a frontrunner should you decide to join Miss Cebu, which is impossible because you just replied with a smiley when I brought up the idea. With God’s will, the justice department will be so blessed to have you in its fold two years from now. I’m so proud of you!